KOLKATA6: At least 19 people died and around 24-25 others were injured in a stampede at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata on Saturday evening, October 17. The incident occurred amid heavy crowds and rain during the Durga Puja celebrations.
What Happened?
- According to media reports, the incident occurred at around 7:40 pm in the area under Girish Park police station. As rain began, a large number of visitors reportedly moved towards the pandal for shelter while others attempted to enter or leave, triggering a dangerous crowd surge.
- The injured were taken to Calcutta Medical College and Hospital for treatment. Police, fire services and emergency response teams were deployed and the pandal was closed to visitors.
- Eyewitnesses reportedly raised concerns about narrow entry and exit gates, poor lighting and crowd management arrangements. These allegations are being examined as part of the investigation and have not yet been conclusively established.
12 Detained; Investigation Ordered
- Kolkata Police initially detained 12 people, including some organisers and security personnel, for questioning. Subsequent reports have mentioned arrests and differing detention figures as the investigation progressed.
- West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced a Special Investigation Team (SIT), to be headed by a sitting Calcutta High Court judge, to investigate the incident and examine possible safety and crowd control failures. Police are also examining CCTV footage and other evidence.
- Authorities have said that strict action will be taken against anyone found responsible for negligence.
Compensation Announced
- The West Bengal government announced compensation of ₹25 lakh and a government job for the family of each deceased victim. It also announced ₹5 lakh for each injured person, with medical treatment costs to be covered.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi separately announced assistance of ₹2 lakh for the next of kin of each deceased person and ₹50,000 for each injured person from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund.
Public Safety Concerns
- The tragedy has renewed concerns about crowd management, emergency exits, lighting and medical preparedness at large religious gatherings. Authorities are investigating the circumstances that led to the deaths, and responsibility will depend on the findings of the inquiry.
Source: PTI, The Times of India and India Today.
